MAD: The Complete Harvey Kurtzman Years

For the first time, the entire original run of MAD comics and magazine by creator, editor, writer and cover artist Harvey Kurtzman in a lavish five-volume collector’s box set, in oversized facsimile, with a wealth of bonus material. 

In 1952, the first MAD comic was created as a way for the writer/editor/artist Harvey Kurtzman to do something quick and easy in between his elaborately researched war comics for EC. Against all odds, sales success soon turned it into his main job and inspired him to expand from goofy parodies of other comics into even zanier satires that revealed to the kids of America how hypocritical the adults, and entire structure of society and capitalism around them, truly were.

The core artists—Will Elder, Wallace Wood, Jack Davis and at first John Severin—all found themselves inspired by the opportunity to turn from horror or adventure comics to humor, turning out some of the best work of their comics careers – and going on to mainstream success from their name recognition MAD gave them.

By 1955, Kurtzman was ready to move on to grown-up magazine publishing—but seized an opportunity to convert MAD into a magazine first. With the same stable of artists, and a few new contributors from television (Ernie Kovacs, Roger Price), radio (Stan Freberg) and newspapers, he converted the color comic to a black-and-white magazine that aimed its satire at kids and adults alike – and went on to even greater success. Kurtzman himself, and most of his artists, moved on after five issues. 

This gorgeously designed slipcase set includes the first 30 issues of MAD reprinted for the first time. Other highlights: tons of MAD original art and process work. Essays covering the history of MAD and its major players: Kurtzman, Elder, Wood, Davis, Severin, Al Jaffee, Marie Severin, William Gaines, Basil Wolverton, and Ben Oda. A section on Kurtzman's pre- and post-MAD career, covering EC, Help!, Humbug, Trump, and Little Annie Fanny/Playboy. A section on Kurtzman and Elder's unique decades-long working relationship, including a section reprinting all their work upon their short-lived return to MAD in the 1980s. Sections on MAD reprints and MAD ripoffs. A comprehensive gallery showing the various iterations of MAD cover reproductions, from the original mag to subsequent collections and archival efforts, showcasing surviving cover sketches, original cover art, color roughs, and more. Also, a short history of Alfred E. Neumann.